Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, June 14, 2006

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT? / Knowing which foreign foodstuffs you're allowed to bring back from your travels can save you a lot of heartache and hassle at the airport

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They were the biggest, most beautiful white beans I had ever seen, fat and moist and beckoning to me in the market in Valencia, Spain. Freshly shelled, they awaited a cook to take them home and simmer them respectfully with tomato, garlic and herbs.

That cook, I decided, would be me. I had to have those beans, although my husband and I were flying home to California the following day and I had doubts about what U.S. Customs might say. Dried beans were no problem to bring back, I was sure, but these beans were so fresh they were glistening.

So I did what countless travelers do every day. I hid my questionable purchase in my carry-on tote and "forgot" to mention it on the customs declaration form. But I fretted over my contraband the entire flight home and sweated through the customs line at the airport in San Francisco. In the end, the customs agent waved me through with hardly a glance. My beans and I were home free.

At home, I unzipped my tote and eagerly pulled out my buried treasure: a large plastic bag filled with several pounds of Spanish white beans now thoroughly covered with mold.

That sorry experience many years ago put an end to my smuggling attempts; I've since declared everything. And I'm trying to travel smarter now, knowing the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection rules before I go. Then I won't be that clueless tourist standing in the market in Florence wondering if it's OK to bring back a salami. (It's not.)

But as several well-traveled Bay Area food professionals suggest, there are still plenty of foods, wines, table appointments and kitchen gadgets you can legally bring back from abroad. With summer vacations and prime travel season upon us, it's good to know not only what to leave behind, but what's worth lugging home (see "Pack it back", page F4).

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration issue most of the rules about which foreign foods and goods are "enterable," to use a favorite customs-agency word. But it's the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the ones greeting us at the airport after an international flight, who enforce those rules.

We may chafe against the regulations -- especially if Grandpa made the salami in our luggage -- but it's hard to knock the agency's intentions. The vigilance of CBP agents helps deny entry to contagions like avian flu and foot-and-mouth disease, and to devastating agricultural pests like the Mediterranean fruit fly.

Still, no one likes to have his or her holiday souvenirs seized, especially if it's a favorite food prepared by a relative or a package of herbs reputed to cure an ailment.

"Usually we're dealing with an emotional product, and I'm saying, 'I'm sorry but you can't have that,' " says Lisa Krekorian, acting chief of baggage operations for the CBP at San Francisco International Airport. "With a lot of items, there's some drama."

The CBP's "Know Before You Go" brochure, available online (see "Customs contact" Page F4), alerts international travelers to the prohibitions and restrictions related to goods purchased abroad. Still, says Krekorian, "the No. 1 complaint we get from passengers is, 'Nobody told me.' "

So listen up, travelers: If you're planning to bring back edible gifts or mementos from your vacation abroad, the following tips should increase your chances of making it through customs with your souvenirs still in your possession. Bear in mind that the rules can change overnight, in the face of new information about a pest or disease; that vast gray areas surround some regulations; and that each customs agent interprets the rulebook differently.

The fact that your tinned foie gras wasn't taken when you came back from France last year doesn't mean that it will sail through again. Remember the unofficial motto of the CBP agent: When in doubt, seize.

Meat. Don't even think about it. Fresh, cured and processed meats are so restricted that it is best not to try. That means no prosciutto, Spanish ham or sausage, even in a vacuum package. It means no bouillon cubes or soup mixes that have meat in them. Shelf-stable canned meats may be allowable depending on the disease record of the country of origin, but canned poultry products are definitely risky.

As for tinned foie gras, a popular souvenir from France, "we're all confused," admits Krekorian. "There is conflicting information, but it's likely to be taken, given the existing memos. The way the regulations are, we have to take the most restrictive action." If you're not prepared to lose it, leave it behind.

Cheese. "If it's runny and gooey, we won't let it in," says Janice Mosher, manager of the customer service center for the CBP. But interpretations vary on which cheeses are enterable, and inconsistency abounds. For years, American cheese lovers have exchanged tales of smuggling in young raw-milk cheeses, such as raw-milk Camembert, which is illegal to sell in this country because it has been aged less than 60 days. The raw-milk cheese regulations are the FDA's bailiwick but, at least for the time being, the FDA doesn't care what you bring in for yourself.

"Currently, there are no restrictions on importation of cheeses for personal consumption," writes FDA press officer Michael Herndon in an e-mail.

But the USDA is another matter. The virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease, a livestock illness, can persist in high pH (low acid) cheeses, according to Dr. Christopher Robinson, senior staff veterinary medical officer at the National Center for Import and Export, a branch of the USDA. So the USDA frowns on fresh ricotta and cottage cheeses from abroad because they may have high-pH whey added back to them. Also suspect are cheeses "that pour like heavy cream," says Robinson, who mentions mascarpone and Vacherin Mont-d'Or.

In theory, then, only the softest, moistest, runniest cheeses should raise a customs agent's eyebrows. But in the field, agents may operate more cautiously.

"I've brought back Parmesan, and I know that others have brought back Parmesan and had it taken from them," says Mosher. "How do I put this diplomatically? The rule of thumb (for agents) is, if you don't know that it is admissible, don't let it in."

Fresh produce. To prevent pests and diseases from entering California, customs agents will probably confiscate fresh fruits and vegetables. But depending on the country of origin, some fresh produce is admissible. If you know you want to return with fresh chiles from Thailand or tropical fruits from a relative's Singapore garden, call the Customs and Border Protection office (see "Customs contact" this page) for advice before you leave the United States.

Years ago, says Krekorian, one of her colleagues spotted a pregnant traveler coming through the customs line. The agent asked the usual questions about food, but the woman's answers "weren't on a par with her travel," says Krekorian, So the agent pulled the traveler aside, intending to check her for drugs. Instead, the woman pulled a watermelon from under her blouse. "People have attachments to things from their countries," says Krekorian.

Weezie Mott, an Alameda cooking teacher who frequently hosts visiting European chefs, says one chef had hidden $1,000 worth of fresh truffles in his suit bag, to her astonishment.

His subterfuge wasn't necessary, said Mosher, when told the story; fresh truffles are enterable. But his deceit could have landed him in big trouble.

"When you hide it and try to bring it in as contraband, then you've just smuggled," says Mosher. "You've demonstrated intent, and that is a big lawbreaker. The attempt to contravene customs is going to annoy us more than bringing in something wrong."

If caught, a perpetrator would likely be fined, possibly heavily, whereas an individual who is carrying restricted items openly would probably only have to forfeit them.

Alcohol. California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control allows adults entering the state from a foreign country via ship or plane to bring in a "reasonable amount" of alcohol for personal use. The ABC defines reasonable as not more than 60 liters (about 80 standard wine bottles).

Miscellaneous. Bottled condiments and other ingredients -- mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil and the like -- can enter freely, and packaged seeds are usually fine. Green plant material, in contrast, is not. Even baskets, if they look like they are woven from fresh material, may cause concern.

Grains are iffy. The "Know Before You Go" brochure discourages bringing back rice, but Krekorian says basmati and Arborio are fine.

"Rice is not a problem," agrees Mosher. "The problem is what comes with it. If you're coming from India and had a sack of rice, we would probably take it because it probably has bugs in it. If it was boxed, from Europe, we would be more likely to let it go."

The bottom line for travelers: Declare it. If you didn't have the item when you left the United States but you have it upon return, whether it was a purchase or a gift, Customs wants to know about it. Sacrificing your booty is aggravating, but a huge fine -- up to $50,000 if you tried to conceal the item -- is worse. And you do have some recourse in the event of a dispute.

"If you believe firmly that what you have is admissible, ask to speak to a supervisor," says Mosher. "Ask them to show you in the manual where it dictates that that thing be taken."

If the agent still demands forfeiture, says Mosher, you can refuse to sign the document giving up your rights to the item. You will have to leave the disputed item behind, but may be able to reclaim it later if a higher authority rules in your favor.

In any case, you can take some comfort in knowing that those customs agents are not seated in a back room somewhere, chowing down on your confiscated foie gras and your grandfather's mortadella. No matter how tempting the haul, all the foodstuffs seized by agents are destroyed.

Pack it back

For those traveling to the following regions or countries this summer, Bay Area food professionals share their suggestions for what to bring back

To download the CBP's "Know Before You Go" brochure: cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

What the pros bring home

Bay Area food professionals who travel a lot rarely return empty-handed. They know where to look for bargains and the best local wares, and although they have made the same mistakes as the rest of us -- like hauling home cookware that you can find at Williams-Sonoma -- they have useful tips for scoring treasures.

Linda Anusasananan

Retired food writer for Sunset magazine, San Mateo.

Favorites: Anusasananan seeks out unique, local handmade wares that reflect the place they come from.

"I sort of went crazy in Oaxaca and bought many colorful carved wood animals there, which decorate my kitchen," wrote Anusasananan in an e-mail. "I also buy lots of food-related art, (with a) sort of folksy, handcrafted look."

Favorites: Brennan runs a cooking school in Provence and spends part of the year there, and she always brings back bags of sel gris. The crunchy gray salt that is so costly here is affordable there. Look for it in the open markets, from the vendors who sell beans and dried fruits.

Brennan, an avid gardener, also returns to her California home with seeds for fruit and vegetable varieties not often seen here: 18-day radishes; unusual types of escarole and endive; French melons; haricots verts; and fava beans that reach a foot in length.

She also packs six to eight Crottins de Chavignol, a local aged goat cheese, purchased at the supermarket, wrapped in foil, and tucked into her checked luggage. "In the carry-on, they would smell up the plane," says the teacher. "They'll keep forever. I use them for grating on salads and pasta. They're $5 to $6 (in California) and the equivalent of $1.50 there."

At flea markets and secondhand stores, she scouts for antique French linen. Amora mustard from a French supermarket tastes much better than the French mustard sold here, says Brennan, and it costs almost nothing. Be open to serendipity but realistic about how you cook at home. "I did bring home a snail grilling rack," admits Brennan. "How irresistible is that? I think I've used it once, but I just had to have it."

Hugh Carpenter

Cooking teacher and cookbook author, Napa.

Favorites: Carpenter and his wife, food photographer Teri Sandison, travel often to Mexico and Asia. "We love wooden cooking implements," says Carpenter. "They don't take much space in a suitcase, and you don't have to worry about that bottle breaking." The couple mostly leaves food behind, especially after an incident with Vietnamese fish sauce. "I believe it leaked in the overhead bin," says Carpenter. "They probably had to retire that plane."

Carol Field

Cookbook author and Italian food authority, San Francisco.

Favorites: Cheese, especially Tuscan pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano, always accompanies Field on her trips home from Italy. The savings aren't impressive, she says, but the quality is. Pecorino di Pienza, a Tuscan sheep's milk cheese, is a particular favorite.

Field brings back two kinds of dried porcini: expensive but pristine slices for pasta, and cheaper, less-photogenic bits for soup. "The price is better, even when it's high," says Field.

An oilcloth table covering designed by relatives of the Missonis, the famed Italian fashion family, is one prized possession, used when Field and her husband dine in their garden. "It's one of the things I'm happiest we bought," she says. Other suggestions include dried Sicilian oregano and dried nepitella, a Tuscan herb similar to mint; alkermes, a bright-red liqueur used in Italian desserts and not seen in this country; candied orange peel for baking; and Sicilian marzipan fruits.

Weezie Mott

Cooking teacher and culinary tour guide, Alameda.

Favorites: "I always bring mustard back from France because it's so much better and cheaper," says Mott, who particularly likes the pungent moutarde de Meaux. From Italy, she brings back the rich, dark, deeply flavorful Peyrano cocoa. The company has multiple shops in Italy, and its premium cocoa makes a big difference in chocolate desserts, says the teacher.

"I go to the grocery store and look around," says Mott. That's how she found, in Italy, a dried-porcini mill and a dried-truffle mill, which she uses to grind the aromatic contents over scrambled eggs.

When visiting Turkey, where she formerly lived, Mott heads for the Carrefour supermarket in Istanbul. At the Carrefour, she typically stocks up on dried mint and bay leaves, both much better than what's available in the United States, she says.

Daniel Olivella

Chef, B44 restaurant, San Francisco.

Favorites: "In Spain, canned food is the richest level of charcuterie," says Olivella, a native of Catalonia who brings many canned delicacies back to the Bay Area after trips to Spain. Mussels in vinaigrette, octopus, white asparagus and the tiny prized clams known as berberechos are among the canned items that Olivella craves and rarely leaves Spain without.

For gifts, he buys friends a Catalan setrill, a distinctively shaped glass pitcher with a spout, for drizzling olive oil over grilled bread and other Spanish specialties.

"The other thing I get, illegal, that my mother brings, is fuet, a little salami sausage made in a town called Vic," says the chef. "My mother smuggles it in because I love it. When she brings that, only my daughters get to eat it."

Marge Poore

Cookbook author and Mexican cooking teacher, Novato.

Favorites: "Lots of people who travel with me (to Mexico) like to buy the clay comal (griddle) because it's flat and easy to bring home in your luggage," says Poore.

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In Oaxaca, she buys chocolate from the specialists in or near the main market, such as Guelaguetza or Mayordomo. A visitor can buy excellent moles in the Oaxaca market, says Poore, and you can taste them before they're packaged for you. Some of these pastes need only chicken stock to reconstitute them.

Mexican vanilla beans from the state of Veracruz are inexpensive and high quality. Tequila can be another good buy. "If you're going to bring it home, bring home a good one," advises Poore. The more you spend, the more you save.

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